Crimi Powers Cavaliers to Sweep of Yellow Jackets

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Stacey Zagol (Berwyn, Pa.) pitched a three-hitter and Beth Crimi (Middle Island, N.Y.) hit a home run as the Virginia softball team defeated Georgia Tech, 4-0, in the first game of an afternoon doubleheader played at The Park. Crimi's eighth inning double in the nightcap helped the Cavaliers secure the sweep with a 3-2 comeback win over the Yellow Jackets.

Virginia (13-12, 6-2 ACC) extended its winning streak to five games, all against Atlantic Coast Conference foes, with the victory. The sweep also provided UVa with its longest winning streak since they won seven consecutive games at the beginning of the 1995 season (March 3-March 10, 1995).

Zagol (7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K) dominated the opener, allowing just three hits to the Yellow Jackets. Crimi provided Virginia with all the offense they would need with her first home run of the season. Her third inning blast stayed just inside the leftfield foul-pole to give Virginia a 3-0 lead. Tish Tablan chipped in by going 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored.

Game Two saw Georgia Tech (20-28, 2-4 ACC) jump out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth courtesy of a Lori Steiner homer. But Virginia clawed back into the game in the fifth. After Amy Peay drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to rightfield, Stacey Holmes hit a clutch two-out single to knot the game at 2-2.

Both teams wasted numerous opportunities in the second game before heading to extra innings. Georgia Tech left 14 runners on base while Virgina stranded nine of their own.

In Virginia's half of the eighth, Lori Reese led off with a walk. Crimi then came within 10-feet of ending the game as she doubled off the wall in left. The Jackets then elected to walk Corinne Good to load the bases. Georgia Tech's strategy worked as Chrissy Quinn hit a hard grounder to shortstop Lori Webb. But her throw home to try to force out Reese was in the dirt and Reese scored to give the Cavaliers the 3-2 victory. Zagol (3.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) , who entered the game in the sixth in relief of Quinn (5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), evened her record at 6-6 as the winning pitcher.

Virginia hosts Georgia Tech for a single game tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 pm at The Park. Admission is free.